Arne Slot fires warning to Liverpool star who’s had simply 105 minutes of recreation time this season

Arne Slot has warned Federico Chiesa there is no guarantee of starting opportunities as he outlined the size of the task his Italian striker faces.

Chiesa was the only signing Liverpool made last summer who immediately joined the squad but things have not gone according to plan for him since he arrived on Merseyside; indeed, there has already been much talk in Italy that he could return to Serie A during this window.

Slot, Liverpool’s head coach, has been complimentary about the qualities of Chiesa, who cost £10.6million when arriving from Juventus in August, but a combination of factors mean that he has been limited to just 105 minutes on the pitch across four appearances.

Many will have viewed the FA Cup third round tie with Accrington Stanley as the perfect moment for Chiesa to start but Slot – who is considering involving highly-regarded youngsters Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumha in his squad – has cautioned against making assumptions.

Given the 27-year-old’s natural position is coming in from the right side of attack, the obstacle that Mo Salah places in front of him is enormous and Slot pointed to the Egyptian as an example of the standards to which Chiesa must aspire.

‘Every game is a chance for every player to get some playing time,’ said Slot, who hopes to have Jarrell Quansah available after he was withdrawn in the defeat to Tottenham on Wednesday, having been feeling the lingering effects of illness.

‘It has not only been difficult for (Chiesa) for all the things you just said in terms of match fitness, it is also that he has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah – and everybody here knows the numbers that Mo brings in.

‘There are not many times or reasons to take Mo out during a game or before a game. He is also so fit. I’ve said many times before he was the fittest player who came back for pre-season and he does everything every single day to keep his match fitness and he wants to play every single game.’

Stressing the point, Slot continued: ‘He shows up every single game. So it is not only about Federico when we are talking about his limited playing time. It is also about the others. But in terms of Federico, he has to deal with the way he came in late start to pre-season.

‘The rest were already training a lot so we had to bring him up in terms of match fitness. It’s a combination of reasons why he didn’t play that much but let’s wait and see in the coming weeks and months if he is able to help us – the second half of the season is even more important than the first.’

On the potential of Nyoni and Ngumha being involved, Slot said: ‘Trey has been in the squad many times already, I think Rio was in once – Southampton away – but these players are doing really well and doing well when they play with the under-21s.

‘So as long as they keep doing that the chances of them getting their moment in the first team will increase of course.’